Health Secretary Alan Johnson visits

Over 130 people attended, and around 40 organisations were represented, when Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Health, spoke in Brighton.

The meeting was chaired by Nancy Platts, Labour's candidate for Brighton Pavilion at the next election.

Nancy reports:

"The minister spoke and took lots of questions on a range of healthcare issues. We heard contributions about birth, breastfeeding, commissioning services, drug and alcohol use, stroke services, assisted suicide, the role of NICE and funding of new drugs, direct payments, predicting the type of healthcare workforce needed for the future (relating to a surplus of physiotherapists) and the prevention of TB."

Further similar meetings in Brighton and Hove are planned during 2009.